Everything to Me
by melora30
Summary: What happens when love is not enough? Sam and Jack try to make their new relationship work. JackSam. Spoilers for Seasons 8 and 9. Set between Moebius and Crusade.
1. Prologue

**Everything to Me**

**By Melora**

Rating: T (For some mild language and sexual situations)

Pairing: Sam/Jack, Sam/Other, Jack/Other

Category: Angst, Romance, S/J Established Relationship

Spoilers: Season 8 – Threads; Season 9 – Avalon, Origin, The Ties That Bind, Beachhead, Ex Deus Machina, Ripple Effect.

Set: Just after Season 8 and during Season 9 (before "Crusade")

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions, and Sony Pictures Television. No copyright infringement is intended. Created for entertainment not monetary purposes.

Summary: What happens when love is not enough?

Author's Notes: Like many shippers, I was quite perplexed by Season 9. After all, why was Jack looking so depressed in "Origin"? And why did Sam almost kiss Martouf in "Ripple Effect"? So this is how I am going to try and explain what could have been going on between Jack and Sam. I started writing this before Season 9 aired and erroneously thought Sam would be stationed at the Pentagon during her absence from SG-1. So for the purposes of this story, Sam resigned from SG-1 to take a research position at the Pentagon (and to be with Jack in Washington), then transferred to Area 51, and then rejoined SG-1 after "Ex Deus Machina." Flashbacks are in italics.

**Prologue**

_The Pentagon_

Jack stormed down the long halls of the Pentagon, eager to reach the sanctuary of his office before yet another high-ranking officer wrangled him into another boring and pointless conversation. He was in no mood to politely stand there and listen to anyone at this moment. It had been a very long and excruciating day of meetings, most of which had consisted of going over budget reports with a fine-toothed comb. This was his life now. Today was like every other day for him ever since he had taken the position of Director of Homeworld Security and had transferred to the Pentagon from the SGC.

Although he liked the title, the promotion to Major General, the paycheck, and the nice parking space near the front door, he had quickly found that he hated every minute of his job. He hated the Pentagon, he hated the politics, and most of all he hated the paperwork and never-ending meetings. He was a man of action, after all. Sitting behind a desk and going over memos and reports was not his thing. And who would have thought that Jack O'Neill would ever spend his days attending meetings...and that he would actually have to pay attention in them? And yet, he did it all because he felt he had an obligation - to his country, to General Hammond, and to Sam.

As he walked, he thought back to that fateful conversation late last spring - the conversation that had landed him in a city he disliked and in a job that he hated. It had been a lazy Sunday afternoon in Colorado Springs. He had been sitting back, drinking a beer, watching a basketball game on TV, and waiting for Sam to arrive. They were planning on having an early dinner as "friends" to discuss his approaching retirement and their plans for the future. When he heard a knock at his door, he obviously expected it to be her. But it hadn't been…

_Jack opened the door and peered outside, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise to find his former commanding officer standing in front of him wearing a bright shirt and khakis._

"_Hello Jack." Major General George Hammond smiled amiably back at him._

"_Sir…?"_

"_I thought I told you to call me George."_

_Jack returned the smile as he opened the door further and motioned for Hammond to enter his humble abode. "Well, you know that I can't do that, sir…at least not until approval for my retirement comes through. You're still my superior officer, after all. So… what brings you to Colorado Springs, General?"_

_Hammond and Jack made their way into Jack's living room and the older general took a seat in the large armchair near the fireplace. Once he was seated, Hammond answered Jack's earlier question, "I dropped by to spend some time with my grandchildren…and to talk to you."_

"_Really?" Jack looked at the man in surprise. Nothing sprang to Jack's mind to give him any clue as to what Hammond could want to talk to him about. The SGC and Earth were no longer in danger and Jack was set to retire at the end of the month. "Is something up?"_

"_Nothing too serious. It's about your retirement…"_

_Jack chuckled nervously and shook his head in disbelief, hoping that this was a joke... a very bad retirement joke that his friends had put Hammond up to. In fact, he half-expected Sam to come strolling through the door at any second with Daniel and Teal'c in tow. Then he saw the seriousness in Hammond's expression._

_Jack's hands shot up in protest and he emphatically shook his head. "Oh, no…the replicators are gone, the Goa'uld are defeated for the most part, the Jaffa are free, and Earth is safe. So unless you are here to congratulate me on a job well done and wish me well in my retirement, I don't want to hear it."_

_Hammond looked at him, a hint of regret and sympathy in his blue eyes, obviously dreading the fact that he was about to bring all of Jack's plans for the future to an abrupt halt. "The Joint Chiefs and the President have looked over your request for retirement and have decided not to approve it. They all believe that you are still essential to the program, and I agree with them."_

_"General…not to seem ungrateful, but I have a very good reason for wanting to retire," Jack interrupted._

"_I know, Jack," Hammond answered before quietly adding, "I do too."_

_Those three little words immediately got Jack's attention. "What?"_

_"I also put in a request for retirement a week or so before you did." Hammond smiled softly as he continued to explain the situation, "I had no idea that you wanted to retire, Jack. I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but I had already submitted your name to the President to be my replacement."_

"_But sir..." Jack started, attempting to persuade his CO to give in to his request and then he paused. He slowly sank onto the sofa as the full meaning of Hammond's words finally sunk in. "Wait…you want me to take over for you?"_

"_Yes, Jack. The way I see it, you are the only man for the job. And the President and Joint Chiefs agree."_

_Jack rubbed his hands roughly over his face, trying to banish his frustration and suddenly realizing that this was going to be a long and difficult conversation. It was unlikely that either man was going to convince the other of anything. So instead, Jack decided to dig a little deeper. "Why did **you** decide to retire, sir?"_

_Hammond shrugged slightly. _"_Probably for the same reasons you did, Jack. The war with the replicators and the Goa'uld is over and I want to spend time with the people I care about. I'm not a young man anymore. If you remember, I was supposed to retire over eight years ago. Back then I was looking forward to spending time with my daughter and my grandchildren. But then the situation with Apophis came up and it was one thing after another. I felt I owed it to my country and to the people of Earth to continue on at the SGC. But now, I am no longer necessary and I can finally spend more time with those I love."_

_Jack groaned in frustration. He could see exactly where Hammond was coming from. They had both sacrificed their personal lives for the good of the planet. They had both put duty and honor before their own personal desires. And now, Hammond was asking him to continue making that sacrifice when he himself was so very close to having everything he had wanted for so long. _

"_I know exactly how you feel, sir."_

"_I'm sure you do, Jack," Hammond acknowledged. "When I found your retirement request on my desk, I was completely shocked. I had no idea you wanted to leave the SGC. I thought you were finally settling in and enjoying the job. Then I did some checking around and found out that a certain someone is no longer engaged to be married…and that if you retired you could be together." Hammond paused thoughtfully. " I'm sorry about this, Jack. If I had known before that you wanted to retire to be with Sam, I would never have recommended you as my replacement."_

_Jack smirked mischievously, "Well…can't you just un-submit my name?"_

_Hammond chuckled lightly at the suggestion and then his expression immediately turned serious once more. "Unfortunately, I can't. You really are still needed, Jack. The SGC and the Atlantis Expedition need you in Washington. There is no one else I can trust to take over the Office of Homeworld Security."_

"_But, General…you know that I'm no good at the whole Washington thing. I'm not a politician and I'm definitely not a diplomat. One day with me at the Pentagon, I would end up pissing off some congressman or senator and both the SGC and Atlantis would lose all of their funding entirely." Jack paused thoughtfully before suggesting, "What about Davis? He's good with the politicians and big-wigs. He knows how to get the job done."_

_Hammond scowled, slightly disappointed that Jack was underestimating his own abilities and being so stubborn. "Paul Davis would be perfect for the job, but he is only a lieutenant colonel right now. This is a position for a general, and you know it. No, Jack…the President wants it to be a general and you're the only one I know of with the necessary clearance and knowledge to do the job."_

"_With all due respect, sir… I'm an idiot. Why would you entrust the future of the SGC and Atlantis to me?" Jack grinned sheepishly at his superior officer. _

_A scowl once again descended on Hammond's face as he caught onto younger man's meaning. Jack didn't think he was good enough for the job. Jack's obstinacy had always been infuriating, but one thing George Hammond had little patience for was Jack's tendency to put himself down. He was a brilliant officer who knew practically everything about the programs involved with Homeworld Security. And even if he didn't like to admit it, Jack O'Neill was intelligent and clever enough to know how to beat the Washington bureaucrats at their own game. Homeworld Security needed a man like him…especially now._

"_Don't give me that bullshit, Jack. We both know you are nowhere close to being an idiot. You are a brilliant soldier who has saved his planet more times than I can count. And the people in Washington know it too." _

_Hammond's demeanor quickly softened as he continued to explain his reasons for wanting Jack to take the job, "You are a hero, Jack. Don't you realize that? Every time you speak, people will listen to you. Every time you ask for something, the powers that be will take note and do their best to make it happen. Everyone who knows about the Stargate program, knows the sacrifices you have made. Even if they don't like you, even if you do ruffle their feathers a bit, they still respect you and what you have done. In fact, I think you will be able to do much more for the SGC and Atlantis than I was able to do."_

_Jack was rendered speechless by his commanding officer's words. He never realized how much faith Hammond had in him. He never realized that he had made such an impact. After all, he had just been doing his job all of these years. He was no hero – at least in his own eyes._

"_Sir…I'm touched, really. But I'm ready to have a life of my own. Hell, I deserve to have a life of my own. It's just…I've waited so long…"_

"_To be with Sam?"_

"_Yes." Jack's answer was immediate and indisputable._

_Hammond thought to himself for a moment, his expression guarded and serious. After a few seconds, a knowing smile lit his face, _"_Why can't you then?" _

"_Won't I still be in her chain of command? Won't the regulations still apply?"_

"_Not necessarily…especially if Colonel Carter's request for reassignment is approved."_

_Jack was shocked and his eyes widened in surprise. _"_Wait a minute…Carter asked for reassignment?"_

"_No…well at least she hasn't yet." A shrewd grin erupted on Hammond's face as he thought about the situation. " What if Colonel Carter were to apply for a position as head of Research and Development? There's actually an opening right now that the Pentagon was hoping she would fill, since she is more than qualified for it. In fact, she's a shoe-in. It would be a nice step up for her and it would allow her to have more flexible hours."_

"_And she would be living in Nevada while I'm stuck in DC," Jack complained._

"_Not necessarily. Technically, it is under the joint command of the Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Homeworld Security. She would have to spend a lot of time at the SGC and at Area 51, but the job can be based out of the Pentagon if she so chooses."_

"_But she would still be in my chain of command," Jack pointed out._

_Hammond shook his head. "She could report to the head of the Office of Scientific Research instead. General Wright is a good man and he could be responsible for all of her evaluations and recommendations concerning her career. We can work something out, Jack. The President wants you, son. He is willing to make it worth your while to take the job. Besides, the Pentagon would be thrilled to have Colonel Carter take the position at R+D."_

"_So let me get this straight. I am being offered the position of Head of Homeworld Security. I will have to move to Washington, fly a desk, deal with the brass and various slimy politicians on appropriations committees, and I am supposed to jump at the chance…why exactly?"_

"_Duty, Jack. Your country needs you. And I need you to take the job as well. If you don't take it, I can't retire and am stuck there until a suitable replacement can be found."_

_Jack thought to himself and considered all of what the General was saying. "But if I take this job…I can still be with Sam?"_

"_Most definitely, Jack. I personally will make sure of it. It will all work out, you'll see."_

_Jack shook his head, amazed that he was actually even considering this proposition and trying to think of a way to break the news to Sam. "I still have to talk it over with Carter, sir. I don't even know if she wants to head up R+D. She's only been in charge of SG-1 for a year now and she just might want stay at the SGC. But we'll see."_

"_You go ahead and do that, son. I hope everything works out…for us all."_

And so he was now living and working in DC. The only good part of the deal was that he was now allowed to pursue a relationship with Samantha Carter. They had started dating as soon as her transfer had been approved and she was no longer in his chain of command. And hence…the reason he was in a particularly bad mood today.

It was not just the slew of meetings today that had been the sole cause for his present mood. No…the scowl on his face, which had been firmly in place all day, was mostly the result of not being able to welcome the woman he loved to Washington.

Sam had arrived in DC that very morning, after driving hundreds of miles across country the day before. Today she was going to move into her new apartment and then spend the weekend getting everything in order before she had to start her new job at the Pentagon on Monday.

Jack had hoped to make the transition a little easier by being there to help Sam move in her furniture and unpack boxes. If he was honest with himself, he really just wanted to be near her. It had been two whole weeks since he had last seen her and he missed her terribly. But alas, he was stuck at work, having to attend a full day of meetings with bureaucrats and paper-pushers. Boring couldn't even begin to describe it.

Jack turned the corner into the Homeworld Security office suite, loosening his tie as he pushed the door open. As Jack entered the suite, he was immediately greeted by a pretty brunette sergeant sitting behind a reception desk, "Good afternoon, General."

Jack smiled at the young woman's enthusiasm. She was technically just his secretary, but from her attitude you would think she had been given the most important mission ever assigned. 'Oh, to be that young and innocent again,' Jack thought to himself as he casually returned her greeting.

"Hi Marcy. Any calls?"

"No sir," she answered assuredly. "There are a few reports that came in for you to read, though. They're waiting on your desk."

Jack let out an irritated sigh, "Of course there are. Aren't there always?"

In the two months he had been at Homeworld Security, Staff Sergeant Marcy Bedford, General O'Neill's overly eager and efficient administrative assistant, had become as indispensable to him as Walter Harriman had been at the SGC. She made sure that every report and memo was read, every paper filed away where it belonged, and every phone call logged and returned. In short, she was the perfect person to keep him in line and the Office of Homeworld Security functioning properly. She was the complete opposite of him, and he knew he would have been kicked out on his ass by now if it hadn't been for Marcy Bedford's by-the-book attitude and capabilities.

Although she took herself and her job way too seriously, Jack was relieved to find that Marcy also had a rather laid back, pleasant personality. She laughed at his jokes, and had never been hesitant to tease and joke around with her commanding officer on occasion. In all, they had quite a congenial working relationship. Marcy got up from her desk, her uniform annoyingly immaculate as usual, and approached the General with a large pile of papers in her hands.

"Here are some memos you need to read and sign off on, General. You also have a meeting in an hour with Colonel Brooks about the X-302 program budget."

O'Neill looked at her, his face suddenly scrunched up in a combination of distaste and confusion. 'Not another budget meeting,' he thought to himself. He was a man who could hike 20 clicks through the desert, who could battle an entire battalion of Jaffa with just a P-90, and both of those prospects seemed much more desirable at the moment than having to attend yet another discussion about budgets and numbers.

"I thought Webber was going to handle that meeting with Brooks on Monday?" he whined, hoping that Marcy would be empathetic and maybe clear his schedule for the rest of the day so that he could leave early.

Unfortunately, he was not so lucky. Marcy responded with a sympathetic smile and in the most accommodating voice she could muster, she explained the situation.

"Unfortunately, something came up and Colonel Brooks has to fly out to Colorado on Monday for a few weeks and can't make it at the time he originally scheduled with Major Webber. He called to reschedule and this afternoon was the only time available on both of your calendars. And as you know Major Webber had today off, sir. He has quite a lot of leave time built up and decided to take a long weekend. He was going to be back on Monday in time for the meeting."

O'Neill raised his hand, bringing an end to the sergeant's rambling. "Yes...I remember," O'Neill stated, clearly frustrated that his top aide, Major Jason Webber, was not around to handle the meeting in his place. It was just his luck to be stuck with yet another meeting that would probably stretch for at least a couple of hours. 'So much for leaving early to be with Sam,' he thought.

He paused for a moment before looking seriously at the young woman standing before him, "Marcy?"

"Yes sir?"

"Why is it that I can't take long weekends?"

Marcy shot her commanding officer a dazzling smile and teasingly pointed out, "You can, sir. Remember a couple of weeks ago when you went to your cabin?"

As Jack thought back to his time at the cabin, a faraway smile lit his face. It had been four days of pure pleasure. The weather had been perfect, the fishing had been disappointing as usual, but the company had been exquisite.

"Was that only two weeks ago? Seems like a lifetime." He was still deep in thought, remembering back to the last night he and Sam had been together in Minnesota. They spent the whole evening sitting on a wool blanket near his pond, observing the night sky glimmering high overhead. He had held her close in his arms for hours, while they softly talked and laughed, keeping each other warm the whole time. And then he had slowly lowered her back on the blanket and covered her body with his own. His lips found hers and…

"Don't worry, sir. Things will settle down and you'll get back up there again soon enough." Marcy's voice abruptly shook Jack out of his daydreams of Sam.

He frowned slightly, disappointed in having to return to the real world of memos and budgets and being 'the man.' "I can only hope. Thanks, Marcy. I'll get to these memos right now...I promise." Jack shot her a boyish smirk, then turned and crossed the short distance to his office.

Marcy smiled pleasantly at him as he walked away, calling out to him as he went, "I appreciate it, sir."

As the General's form disappeared behind his office door, Marcy Bedford's smile quickly faded. She went back to her desk, sat down, and picked up a small piece of pink paper lying there. She read over the information on it once then crumpled the sheet between her neatly manicured fingers.

She pressed her lips together grimly, as she considered what she was about to do. 'The General is a very busy man,' she told herself, trying to justify her actions. 'No need to bother him with such trivial matters as phone calls that don't pertain to his work.'

With one swift and deadly accurate toss, the crumpled ball of pink paper landed in the wastebasket a few feet from Marcy's desk. After all, what General O'Neill did not know would not hurt him.

TBC


	2. Reunions

**Chapter 1: Reunions**

_Arlington, Virginia_

_A few hours later_

Still wearing his dress uniform, Jack exited the cab with a pizza in one hand and his briefcase in the other. As his eyes looked up and scanned the exterior of the high-rise apartment building, he wondered why in the world Carter would want to live in the center of Pentagon City. Sure... it was within walking distance of work and every single shop you could ever think of, but it was also extremely crowded and noisy. It just didn't seem like Carter's style. At least not the Carter he knew.

Since Sam had just moved into her apartment that very day, and Jack had been unable to get off work to help out, he had decided to surprise her with dinner...and hopefully more. He stopped off to get pizza from a local Italian place that he had recently discovered, hoping that Carter had some beers on hand to accompany the food. After the miserable day he had endured, he was so looking forward to spending a relaxing evening with her. It seemed whenever he was in Sam's presence all worries and cares evaporated. It was as if she had the power to magically erase everything bad or upsetting in his life with just one smile.

He entered the apartment building only to find an elegantly decorated foyer, complete with gilt mirrors, marble floors, fresh flower arrangements, and a crystal chandelier. It was the type of place where people who dined on fois gras and filet mignon lived, not those who preferred to indulge in pepperoni pizza and beer.

At the back of the room stood two sets of elevators. Jack crossed the lobby towards them and awkwardly hit the 'up' button with one of his free fingers. He only had to wait seconds for the doors to open with a small ding. As he was riding up to the 12th floor, he again contemplated how different this living arrangement was from Carter's house in Colorado Springs.

Her house in Colorado was comfortable...cozy even. It was a place you could just hang out in. It had a nice yard and a pretty park across the street where you could often see families out walking together and children playing ball.

This place was...formal...cold...uptight. At least that's what Jack thought. But Carter obviously liked it. She had told him earlier that this was the same apartment building she had lived in before when she worked at the Pentagon before being transferred to Cheyenne Mountain. She also had informed him that a lot of people who had worked with her before still lived here. So, obviously she liked the idea of being in familiar surroundings and living near old friends - even if that meant living in a building like this.

The elevator stopped at the 12th floor and Jack got out and strolled down the hall towards Carter's new apartment. He was a bit anxious as he shifted his briefcase and pizza into one hand and lifted his other to knock on her door. They had not seen each other in over two weeks and the anticipation was nearly killing him. In fact he had found it increasingly difficult to concentrate during his meetings throughout the day with images of Sam interrupting his thoughts at the most inopportune moments.

To his surprise, no one answered the door when he knocked. He waited for a few moments before trying again. Realizing only now that she hadn't been expecting him to drop by, he suddenly worried that she might have decided to go out to dinner and he had missed her.

A few seconds later, Jack breathed a sigh of relief when the door slowly opened. But much to Jack's shock and dismay, Sam Carter was not the person standing before him. Instead a thirty-something, dark-haired man with clear green eyes stood before him wearing a pair of torn up jeans and a t-shirt. Jack was all the more surprised because he knew the man standing before him very well. It was Major Jason Webber - the same Major Webber who had taken the day off.

"General O'Neill?" Webber's eyes widened in surprise as he greeted his commanding officer.

"Webber?" O'Neill continued to take in his aide's casual appearance. The younger man was holding an open beer in his left hand. He had obviously settled in for a relaxing evening, most likely expecting to spend it in front of the TV watching whatever sports event that was on tonight.

Jack quickly realized his mistake and apologized in embarrassment, "Sorry, Webber, I must have the wrong apartment."

He was just about to turn around and leave, when he heard a familiar female voice coming from inside the apartment.

"Hey, Hot Shot! The bathroom's all yours," the voice called out.

At the sound of her voice, Jack's head immediately snapped back around and he glared at Webber suspiciously. He pushed past the younger officer into the apartment only to find a woman, dressed only in a terry bathrobe, vigorously drying her hair with a towel. As she pulled the towel down away from her face and looked up, her blue eyes widened in surprise as she beheld the man standing before her. The same look of shock and disbelief was mirrored in Jack's own countenance.

"Hey Sam...looks like you've got company," Webber pointed out the obvious. "I had no idea you and General O'Neill were such good friends," he added, trying to diffuse an increasingly awkward situation.

Jack warily looked back and forth between Webber and Sam, his brown eyes glittering with barely concealed anger and jealousy. He was trying his best to hide his emotions behind a mask of stony indifference and he was doing so unsuccessfully.

"General O'Neill...Sir? What are you doing here?" Sam uttered awkwardly, her eyes nervously flitting towards Webber who was absorbing the scene before him with keen interest, a hint of a smile dawning on his face.

Jack was growing more irritated by the moment and Sam's formal address only served to annoy him more. She had not called him 'sir' in over a month - ever since they had started dating - and her use of the term at this moment was like a slap in the face. He quickly realized from the way she was looking at Webber that she was trying to conceal the truth about their relationship from her other guest.

The question was why. Jack could think of only one reason for her wanting to do so and the evidence presented was growing clearer to him by the moment. To all appearances, Webber and Sam had been engaged in something before he had arrived. In his growing jealousy, Jack irrationally began to suspect that Sam didn't want Webber to know that she had until recently been sleeping with his boss for a very good reason. But he was in no mood to have a big scene at present, especially in front of his aide.

"I just stopped by to say hello and bring you some dinner...as a housewarming gift," Jack gruffly announced, trying to salvage his dignity in the face of a very embarrassing situation. It wasn't every day that you dropped by to see your girlfriend and found her with another man. "I thought you might be too tired and busy to fix anything. Guess I was right," he added, hastily handing the pizza to Sam.

"I…thank you, sir," she stuttered. She took his offering, but continued to stand there staring at him catatonically. From his expression, Sam could tell he was not happy. In fact, she could clearly see the hurt and anger radiating in his hard eyes. But for once in her life, she was frozen…she had no idea what to do.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Jack spoke again, "Look...I can see you're busy, so I'll just take off and leave you two to enjoy your evening. I'll stop by for a chat on Monday at work, Colonel Carter."

He turned quickly and abruptly exited the apartment, not waiting for any explanations or apologies. Sam, meanwhile, just stood there holding the pizza, looking like her whole world had just come crashing down around her. She looked at her remaining companion helplessly, her mouth opening and closing in complete astonishment at what had just transpired in her apartment.

Jason Webber, who had remained silent during the whole episode, immediately noted Sam's reaction and shook his head in a combination of amusement and incomprehension. The second he had seen the way the General and Sam had looked at each other, he immediately understood that something was definitely going on between the two…and it was definitely more than just friendship. He liked General O'Neill and had immense respect for the man. He was one of the best COs Jason had ever had, even if the older man's odd sense of humor was an acquired taste. And he could think of no better man for his friend than Jack O'Neill.

Jason had patiently observed Sam's messy love life over the years. She had always been completely hopeless when it came to romantic relationships and it pained him to see that yet another one was most likely going down the drain. And she was just standing there and letting it happen.

"What the hell are you waiting for, Sam?" he asked reproachfully. "Go after him! Don't let him just leave like that."

Sam looked at her friend with wide eyes, quickly realizing that her secret was now completely and totally out of the bag. A sheepish grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she digested his advice. Within days she knew everyone within the Homeworld Security Office, if not the entire Pentagon, would know about her relationship with Jack. Even though she had hoped to keep it a secret for at least a little while longer, somehow it didn't bother her as much as she had thought it would.

With one determined nod, she pushed the pizza box into Jason's awaiting arms and ran as fast as she could down the hall after Jack. She turned the corner, just in time to see Jack enter the elevator. She ran faster, desperately trying to reach him before the door closed. Sliding to a halt in front of the elevator doors, she grunted in frustration as they abruptly shut in front of her. Too late…she was too late.

'Time for Plan B,' she thought to herself as she ran to a nearby stairwell. Nimbly rushing down the concrete stairs, she began desperately chanting to herself, 'Please let the elevators go slow tonight. Please let me get to him in time. Please let him listen.'

Sam reached the ground floor in record time and flew into the lobby. Once again, she was just in time to see Jack's retreating form as he was leaving the building. He was always one step ahead of her.

"General!" she yelled out, urgently trying to get his attention. Jack did not stop, nor turn, even though she was certain that he had heard her.

Sam took a couple of deep breaths to regain her composure before once again rushing after him. She shot out of the revolving door at the front of the building, looking both ways down the sidewalk. A few feet away, she spied Jack's dark figure commandeering a taxi.

He was just stepping into the backseat when she yelled out, "Jack!"

The sound of his first name coming from Samantha Carter's mouth immediately got his attention. Jack backed out of the cab and turned to face his former second-in-command who was slowly walking towards him down the sidewalk.

Sam approached him hesitantly, almost afraid that she would scare him off and he would decide to turn and bolt. As she got closer, she saw with painful clarity the look of hurt and betrayal on his face.

"Jack..." she cooed softly, trying her best not to scare him off. Once she was close enough, Sam wrapped her fingers firmly around his wrists. "Don't you dare leave me like this."

Jack shook his head sorrowfully. "How do you expect me to react, Carter? I decide to surprise you on your first night in town and instead I find out that you've been playing house all day with my aide!"

He let out a frustrated moan as an unmistakable sadness filled his eyes.

"How long has it been going on anyway?" he asked.

Sam looked up at him, completely confused. "What?"

"You and Webber, of course. I didn't realize you two were so close. Hell, I didn't realize that you two even knew each other."

A knowing smile crept across her face. Jack was jealous. Not once in all the time they had known each other had Jack ever betrayed the slightest bit of jealousy over her - even when she had been engaged to Pete. She immediately chastised herself for being somewhat pleased at his reaction, but she couldn't help it. It was nice to know that he cared so much…that she elicited such a response from him. At the same time, she was frustrated and a little angry at the fact that Jack had just assumed something was going on between her and Jason… as if there could ever be anyone else for her but the man standing right in front of her.

"Jack...I've known Jason for years. We flew together in the Gulf and then we later worked together at the Pentagon. He lives a few floors up from me."

"Hence your decision to move into this monstrosity of an apartment building..."

"Jack..." she interrupted him in an admonishing tone. "Jason is just a friend, that's all he has ever been. He just helped me move in all of my stuff today. We had just finished about a half-an-hour before you arrived."

Sam paused slightly before continuing, still seeing the disbelief in Jack's eyes. "I called you at your office earlier to see if you wanted to meet me for dinner and you never called me back. I just figured you were too busy, so…I thought it would be nice to take Jason out instead as a thank you. We had just finished unpacking the boxes and we both wanted to clean up a bit before heading out to the restaurant. I swear, Jack... nothing is going on between us. Jason's like a little brother to me."

Jack took a moment to digest this information. Sam had not released her grip on his wrists. Instead she began gently rubbing her thumbs in circles over his skin, attempting to reassure him with her caressing touch.

"Why didn't you just tell me that before…a few minutes ago in your apartment?" he asked. "The way you were acting, it looked as if you were trying to hide something from me."

"I was trying hide something, Jack. But not from you… from Jason. You've never worked at the Pentagon before. The gossip around that place is vicious and spreads like wildfire. I just didn't want anyone to know about us just yet. I wanted to get settled into my new job before I had every officer and enlisted person in the building whispering behind my back about how I slept my way up through the ranks."

"Webber doesn't seem to be the type to gossip, Carter," Jack replied disbelievingly.

Sam chuckled lightly at his naiveté. It amazed her that after two months at the Pentagon, Jack still had no clue as to how insidious the grapevine was there…or how much his aide liked to talk.

"Then you don't know Jason very well. He's a really sweet guy and one of the best friends a person could have, but he gets carried away sometimes. He would never imply to anyone that I got where I am on anything other than my own merits. But he will tell anyone who will listen about us being a couple. He just can't help himself. For instance, I already know all about Staff Sergeant Marcy Bedford and the major crush she has on you."

"She does not have a crush on me!" Jack denied, although he suspected it might be true.

Sam smiled teasingly. "According to Jason, she does. And you can bet money that come Monday morning everyone in your office and at R+D will know all about you and me."

"I think you're overacting just a little, Carter."

Sam merely shrugged, knowing that her point would be made soon enough. "Please, Jack. Just come back upstairs. I'll kick Jason out and we can catch up while enjoying that pizza you brought. Just the two of us," she coaxed.

Sam sighed in relief as Jack nodded in acquiescence, and the cloud of darkness that had adorned his face for the past few minutes lifted. A slight flush spread over his face as he realized how much he had overreacted and let his jealousy get the best of him. His embarrassed expression was quickly replaced by a quiet smile as he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Sam's mouth.

"Sam?" he asked, breaking away from their brief kiss.

"Yes Jack?"

"You do realize that you are standing outside, on one of the busiest streets in Arlington I might add, in just a bathrobe?"

Sam looked down at herself in complete mortification and embarrassment. "Oh God! Why didn't you tell me? I'm not even wearing shoes!"

"Well, my dear, I think I just did. I also think it's time that I get you back inside."

He reached back into the cab to get his briefcase. Looping his free arm around her waist, they sauntered back inside the apartment building, side by side.

"Jack?" she asked as he held the door open for her.

"Hmm...?"

"About what you said about my apartment building... is it really that bad?"

Jack plastered on an apologetic smirk as he ushered her forward towards the elevators. "I plead the fifth!"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

_The next morning _

_Sam's apartment_

Sam awoke in a pool of sunlight that streamed in from her balcony windows. She lazily stretched her arms above her head, deciding it was finally time to get up. She had not slept so well in... well at least two weeks. Not since she had been in Jack's bed at the cabin...with him right there next to her.

She and Jack had returned to her apartment the previous evening only to find Jason, a couple of beers, and a third of their pizza gone. In its place, was a brief note: 'Decided to take off. Thank the General for the pizza for me. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have Fun! Jason.'

And they quickly decided to follow Jason's sage advice – they did have fun. As they finished off the rest of the pizza and beer, Sam recounted her adventure-filled trip from Colorado to DC in a U-haul van and Jack complained about the never-ending list of meetings he had been to that week.

In the end, they had huddled together on the couch and popped an old movie into Sam's DVD Player that Jack had ever so adeptly hooked up for her.

"You know, I could have done that," Sam noted as the opening titles came on.

"Sure...probably better than me," Jack conceded. "Being the mechanical genius you are, you could also have figured out how to get better picture quality and more channels."

"Why did you insist on doing it then?"

Jack shrugged. "It's a guy thing. It's a boyfriend's responsibility to hook up his girlfriend's electronic stuff, isn't it? Besides...it made me feel useful after today."

She looked at him uncertainly. "What about today?"

"You know...not being able to help you move in. And then there's the whole getting jealous over Webber thing."

Sam sighed and reached out to give his hand a gentle squeeze. "Jack...I understand about today. You are a very, very important and busy guy. But if you feel really bad about it, you can make it up to me," she added in a low voice.

"Oh really?" Jack's eyebrows shot up. "How?"

"Like this..." Her lips collided with his, as she pushed him back onto the couch and stretched herself over him.

After that, they had quickly decided to abandon the movie and had continued their own, very different form of entertainment in the bedroom.

Unfortunately, Jack had to get up early the next morning to return to his house to get ready for work. Although it was Saturday, he still had paperwork to finish before Monday when he would once again be inundated with meetings all week. And hence, Sam awoke alone.

She quickly got out of bed and went into the kitchen to start her day, knowing she still had a lot of unpacking and tidying up to do before she started work on Monday. As she spied a plate filled with blueberry muffins on the counter, she smiled to herself at Jack's thoughtfulness.

Some guys brought you candy and some brought flowers. Leave it to Jack to bring food. That was the man she loved…always thinking with his stomach. Right next to the muffins was a note from Jack saying that he would be by later to take her out to dinner. At that moment, she was certain that moving to Washington was the best decision she had ever made.

Getting a life was so much better than she could have possibly ever imagined.

TBC


End file.
